Our mission is to provide our customers with a safe, practical, and cost effective way to transport pressurized-liquefied natural gas (P-LNG); an old but very low cost way to liquefy natural gas. The CanaGas intermodal transport module (ITM) will provide a spectrum of value-adding solutions to the upstream, mid-stream, and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. Future additions will include lower pressure ITMs designed to safely transport ethane, ethylene, CO2, methanol, and ammonia.
The CanaGas ITM will safely store 12 tonnes of P-LNG, inside of a 40-foot intermodal shipping container. Using the world’s existing transport infrastructure, P-LNG will be shipped by truck, train, barge, supply boat, feeder ship, and eventually, containerships. Intermodal access to natural gas via supply boat or feeder, and then trucked a short distance, will open up a vast number of new opportunities throughout the world.
Our vision includes the widespread implementation of ITMs transporting natural gas and other gaseous fluids to communities throughout the world; thereby creating significant value from the new access to affordable and reliable clean energy. With our customers we will strive to reduce energy poverty throughout the world. No pipeline, no gas, will no longer be an impediment to economic stability and prosperity.
We also see our ITMs being used throughout the world to foster the growth of small-scale biogas production in remote areas.
Steven Campbell
Chief Technology Officer
Canagas Incorporated
Cost Comparison
- Dollars Per Tonne
- Dollars Per Tonne
P-LNG, A Low Cost Liquefaction Process
At only 90 Bar pressure and -50 C, natural gas will be fully liquefied. This is organic chemistry commonly known some 150 years ago. – Use reduced temperature or increased pressure to increase the proportion of liquid compared to vapour being contained in a pressure vessel. – Basically, the opposite process of a steam engine boiler.
For the same volume of gas, the state of P-LNG requires approximately 1/3rd the energy of CNG in combination with less than 1/5th the refrigeration energy (cryogenic chilling) required to liquify natural gas as LNG. A significant energy cost reduction is gained by liquefying as P-LNG.
Further cost reductions are realized through the significant reduction in pre processing of the gas required to make conventional LNG. To make P-LNG will require less than 10% the pre-processing required for LNG as the production of P-LNG requires only de-hydration. For these reasons, the CAPEX cost to make P-LNG is less than 10% of LNG costs. OPEX costs for P-LNG are 20% that of LNG costs.
The Safe Intermodal Transport of P-LNG
Low-cost P-LNG is safely transported in a CanaGas Intermodal Transport Module (ITM). An ITM consists of three CanaGas type-4 tanks suspended and cocooned with insulated inside of a 40-foot ISO corrugated steel intermodal shipping container. By design, the ITM provides a very high level of impact resistance.
Due to the low-temperature compatibility of the CanaGas tanks, the storage of P-LNG is safe and secure. The low-temperature limit of the CanaGas tank is -80 Celsius. P-LNG is stored at only -50 Celsius.
The practicality of the CanaGas solution is derived by the ultra light weight of the CanaGas tank. As a result, the tare weight of a CanaGas ITM is approximately 8 MT.
With a road weight limitation of 20 MT, the CanaGas ITM will transport up to 12 metric tons (600,000 scf) of P-LNG by truck. The ITM can be transported further by ship, barge, or train. Some customers may be thousands of kilometres away.
Lower pressure ITMs will also safely transport ethane, ethylene, CO2, methanol, and ammonia.
Production of Stranded Gas & Condensates
Many reserves of oil and gas are ‘stranded’ due to topography, bodies of water, environment issues, and even political barriers.
The CanaGas ITM will provide for the safe storage and transport of “stranded” natural gas and LPGs (condensed from the gas). ITMs will therefore allow for the production of stranded oil wells (with associated gas) without flaring of any gas or costly flaring fines. Low-cost trucking of the associated gas and valuable condensed liquids as P-LNG from the well-site will allow the oil to also be trucked out for refining and value adding, without the environmental and economic cost of flaring.
Capture & Transport of Flare Gas
The CanaGas ITM will provide a new way to capture, transport and monetize natural gas currently being flared in large volumes. The gas is simply pressurized, stripped of H2S, then converted into P-LNG for transport to new and existing markets. Condensed LPG would be trucked to a central facility in lower pressure ITMs for H2S stripping and then distribution as fuel.
The CanaGas ITM will also allow for numerous smaller flares in a general region to be collected for processing at a central facility. Fortunately, the CanaGas ITM will safely transport all effluent from a flare knock out tank; including gas with H2S. Once processed, the P-LNG would be transported in ITMs to new and existing markets. The LPG would be distributed locally.
The reason that all effluent is safely transported in ITMs is that CanaGas tanks are made using a high-density polyethylene liner with heavy-wall stainless steel port bosses. The design therefore provides for a very high level of corrosion resistance.
Small Scale Biogas Production
Using a CanaGas ITM and low-cost P-LNG liquefaction technology, small-scale commercial biogas production is made practical and feasible. No longer does a biogas facility need to be adjacent to a natural gas distribution pipeline. A biogas facility can now be located where large volumes of organic waste matter are easily available. The produced biogas would be trucked out to a regional facility for processing or, the CO2 stripped out on site and the bio-methane made usable to the producer. CanaGas uses pressure and temperature control to separate most of the CO2 from the relatively slow-flowing biogas.
The process to liquefy biogas is the same as for P-LNG, compress the gas to 90 bar, dehydrate, and chill. If there is any H2S present in the gas stream, it will also need to be stripped out to an acceptable domestic-use level.
Such small-scale commercial biogas production would include a mid-sized farm, feedlot, food processing facility, forestry operation, landfill or, sewage treatment facility.
Renewable biogas production in rural and remote areas will help to reduce energy poverty throughout the world. Sustainable biogas production will have a large positive impact throughout Africa, Asia, and South America.
